You are here

Page 083

Page 83(Chronicles of Froissart)

page 83

while they be at supper and unware of us ye shall see them be so discomfited, that they shall keep none array.' All the lords and knights agreed to his saying: then every man took his horse and ordained all their pages and baggage to abide still thereas they were. So they rode still along by the wood, and came to a little river in a vale near to the French host. Then they displayed their banners and pennons and dashed their spurs to their horses, and came in a front into the French host among the Gascony, who were nothing ware of that bushment. They were going to supper, and some ready set at their meat the Englishmen cried, 'A Derby, a Derby! '1 and overthrew tents and pavilions, and slew and hurt many. The Frenchmen wist not what to do, they were so hasted when they came into the field and assembled together, they found the English archers there ready to receive them, who shot so fiercely, that they slew man and horse and hurt many. The earl of l'Isle was taken prisoner in his own tent and sore hurt, and the earl of Perigord and sir Roger his uncle in their tents : and there was slain the lord of Duras [and] sir Aymar of Poitiers, and the earl of Valentinois his brother was taken : every man fled that might best, but the earl of Comminges, the viscount of Caraman and of Villemur and of Bruniquel, and the lord de la Bard and of Terride, and other that were lodged on the other side of the castle, drew back and went into the fields with their banners. The Englishmen, who had overcome all the other, dashed in fiercely among them : there was many a proper feat of arms done, many taken and rescued again. When they within the castle heard that noise without and saw the English banners and pennons, incontinent they armed them and issued out, and rushed into the thickest of the press : they greatly refreshed the Englishmen that had fought there before. Whereto should I make long process? All those of the earl of l'Isle's party were nigh all taken or slain : if the night had not come on, there had but few scaped. There were taken that day, what earls and viscounts to the number of nine, and of lords, knights and squires taken so that there was no English man of arms but that had two or three prisoners. This 1 The French is `Derbi, Derbi, au come !' battle was on Saint Lawrence night, the year of our Lord MCCCXLIV. 1 The Englishmen dealt like good companions with their prisoners and suffered many to depart on their oath and promise to return again at a certain day to Bergerac or to Bordeaux. Then the Englishmen entered into Auberocbe, and there the earl of Derby gave a supper to the most part of the earls and viscounts prisoners, and to many of the knights and squires. The Englishmen gave laud to God, in that that a thousand of them had overcome ten thousand of their enemies and had rescued the town of Auberocbe and saved their companions that were within, who by all likelihood should have been taken within two days after. The next day anon upon sun-rising thither came the earl of Pembroke with his company, a three hundred spears and a four thousand archers. Then he said to the earl of Derby : 'Certainly, cousin, ye have done me great uncourtesy to fight with our enemies without me : seeing that ye sent for me, ye might have been sure I would not fail to come.' ` Fair cousin,' quoth the earl of Derby, ' we desired greatly to have had you with us : we tarried all day till it was far past noon, and when we saw that ye came not, we durst not abide no longer; for if our enemies had known of our coming, they had been in a great advantage over us ; and now we have the advantage of them. I pray you, be content, and help to guide us to Bordeaux.' So they tarried all that day and the next night in Auberocbe ; and the next day betimes they departed, and left captain in Auberocbe a knight of Gascony called Alexander of Chaumont. Thus they rode to Bordeaux and led with them the most part of their prisoners.

CHAPTER CVIII

Of the towns that the earl of Derby won in Gascoyne, going toward the Reole.